The bloody path of the first horse. Bandits and murderers of the First Cavalry, mostly ethnic Ukrainians

In a popular Soviet song about the First Cavalry Army it was sung: “The chieftain dogs remember./The Polish gentlemen remember./Our cavalry blades.” But there were no special words about Ukrainian independentists. This is despite the fact that the 6th Infantry Division of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) was in the summer of 1920 a constant enemy of Budyonny's army all the way from the Dnieper to San. Could it be because she finally stopped the First Cavalry's advance?

Petliurists in the Polish army

In 1919, the UPR army led by Symon Petlyura had to fight on three fronts: against the Red Army, against the White Guards Armed Forces south of Russia (VSYUR) of General Denikin and against the Poles. She would have to form an alliance with one of them. Ukrainians are divided. One part advocated an alliance with Poland at the cost of losing part of the territory of Ukraine. The other did not agree with this and in November 1919 went over to Denikin’s side. Finally, an entire brigade led by Colonel Emelyan Volokh went over to the side of the Bolsheviks and joined the Red Army.

Petliura led a group that advocated an alliance with the Poles. Preparing to resume the war with Soviet Russia, Pilsudski, in turn, attracted Ukrainian and Belarusian bourgeois nationalists to his side. On April 21, 1920, in Warsaw, he and Petliura signed an agreement under which Poland recognized the independence of Ukraine. In response, Poland received western territories, inhabited by Ukrainians - not only those that before the First World War were part of Austria-Hungary (Eastern Galicia with Lvov), but also the Kholm region and all of Volyn with the cities of Lutsk, Kovel and Rivne. The eastern border of Ukraine was to be determined by a future treaty with the RSFSR after the victory. Petlyura received the right to form the Ukrainian army.

So in line with Polish army The UPR army fought against the Soviet Republic in 1920. The first to be formed was the 6th Infantry Division under the command of General Mark Bezruchko. Back in the winter of 1919/20, on the instructions of Petliura, she carried out a raid on the rear of the All-Soviet Union of Socialists and the Red Army, and in the spring of 1920 she took part in the offensive of Polish troops in Right Bank Ukraine. In the summer of 1920, she took part in repelling the Soviet offensive there; she was badly battered, but retained her combat effectiveness. Together with Polish troops, she retreated west of the Bug River in Volhynia.

To the rescue of the Western Front

In August 1920, it seemed to many that the Soviet-Polish war would soon end with the triumphant entry of the Red Army into Warsaw. It seemed to most observers that the Red Army would not stop there. They already imagined the Reds in Berlin and other European capitals. However, the Soviet leadership itself shared these illusions. It planned to carry the banner of the proletarian revolution further, to Germany and Western Europe.

While the armies of the Soviet Western Front under the command of Mikhail Tukhachevsky were approaching Warsaw, the troops of the Southwestern Front (commander Alexander Egorov, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council - Stalin, who had a great influence on Egorov) were going to take Lvov. On August 11, the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic's troops, Sergei Kamenev, ordered Yegorov to reassign the 1st Cavalry and 12th Armies to the Western Front. They needed to be sent to Warsaw to increase the force of the strike. However, the command of the Southwestern Front ignored this directive, citing the fact that the First Cavalry was already involved in the battles for Lvov, and its regrouping would take a lot of time.

Meanwhile, Pilsudski concentrated his forces to attack the flanks of the Red Army group advancing on Warsaw and on August 16 launched a counteroffensive. The Soviet Western Front suffered a heavy defeat and retreated from the Polish capital. Now the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic demanded that Yegorov and Stalin transfer the 1st Cavalry to the Western Front in order to save it from complete defeat. However, this order was carried out very late.

The Red Command decided to redirect the First Cavalry to Lublin in order to capture this city to create a threat on the right flank of the enemy’s Warsaw group of forces and force it to suspend its attack against the Western Front. Tukhachevsky gave the corresponding directive to Budyonny on August 24 by order of the RVS, although he himself did not believe in its feasibility.

The First Cavalry has continuously participated in offensive battles since June 1920, with the liberation of Kyiv. In the last unsuccessful battles for Lviv, she suffered heavy losses and did not have time to make up for them. She began her raid on Lublin with no more than 8 thousand soldiers in service in her four cavalry divisions.

Battles of Zamosc and Komarov

On August 27, the First Cavalry began moving out of the Sokal area. On the way lay the city of Zamosc (Polish: Zamosc), defended by the 6th Ukrainian division, numbering 4,000 bayonets. It is interesting that its neighbors at the front were also national and White Guard units that entered into an alliance with the Poles: on the right - the Don Brigade, on the left - the 2nd Ukrainian Division, the Kuban Brigade and the Belarusian Brigade of “father” Bulak-Balakhovich. The stubborn defense of Zamosc, which was an important center of local communications, by the Petliurists, riveted the forces of the First Cavalry.

On August 29, Budyonny’s advanced detachments tried to capture Zamosc on the move, but met strong resistance. The next day, the main forces of the Soviet 6th and 11th cavalry divisions approached the city. They managed to surround the city. The dismounted red horsemen launched several attacks. Zamość was surrounded by a chain of separate rifle cells, only here and there covered with one or two rows of barbed wire. The Petliurists took up a perimeter defense.

Both sides acted bravely and accurately. Thus, the Budennovites managed to disable two of the three armored trains that supported the besieged. But they could not take the city. The Petliurists launched desperate counterattacks, including night ones, and held Zamosc. The Reds could not move further to Lublin, having the untaken Zamość in their rear. Staying where you were was also dangerous. The First Cavalry went too deep into the enemy rear, and the neighboring 12th Army, despite all Budyonny’s requests, was unable to support it. General Haller's group consisting of the 13th Infantry and 1st Cavalry Polish Divisions was approaching from the south, and the 2nd Legionnaire Division was approaching from the north. In fact, on August 31, the First Cavalry itself found itself surrounded. On the same day, Budyonny decided to retreat and make his way to the main forces of the Southwestern Front.

When breaking through the Polish encirclement near Komarov, the First Cavalry suffered new heavy losses. From September 1 to 6, under continuous attacks from Polish troops, it retreated beyond the Bug to the Vladimir-Volynsky region. Soviet military historian Nikolai Kakurin pointed out that heavy rains, which washed out roads in wooded areas, prevented Budyonny from carrying out the original directive. It is obvious, however, that these same roads prevented the Poles from pursuing the retreating First Cavalry, which saved it from complete destruction. And an important role in its defeat was played by the defense of Zamosc by the Petliurists, who gained two days to concentrate around the Polish troops.

It’s a miracle that these documents have survived in the Lubyanka archives to this day. A true miracle, because both Klim Voroshilov and Semyon Budyonny would give dearly for these leaves, yellowed by time, to disappear forever.

Have you heard: the first marshals, heroes of the Civil War, favorites of all Soviet people and personally Comrade Stalin... My father’s old Budenovka, which we found somewhere in a closet... A cavalry cart - all four wheels... We are red cavalrymen and about us...

... But what, in fact, could the eloquent epic writers talk about? It’s not about the fact that the legendary First Cavalry was, in fact, a haven for bandits and rioters. That the cavalrymen massacred entire towns: killing men, raping women. That Budyonny and Voroshilov foamed at the mouth to defend the murderers in “dusty helmets”...

“The working population, who once greeted the First Cavalry with jubilation, now sends curses after it,” even the Revolutionary Military Council of the most famous army of the Civil War was forced to admit.

September 20th.

The first cavalry marches across Ukraine. On the recent estate of Father Makhno.

Only the local residents, who are “liberated” by the cavalrymen, for some reason do not show joy. Budenovites behave like real pogromists. They break into houses, beat and rape, and confiscate things. First of all, they bandit in Jewish towns.

The Budenovites are tired. The army had just emerged from the Lvov encirclement. There are new battles ahead: The first cavalry must be sent against Wrangel, on the Southern Front.

The dashing army commander Semyon Budyonny loves his soldiers. They have earned the right to rest. Three days for plunder is the law of war.

True, some horsemen are so carried away by pogroms that they lag behind their units. The commissars have to force them out of the towns. They mocked - and it will be...

... The military commissar of the 6th division, Shepelev, had not yet recovered from sleep when a sweaty soldier burst into the hut. He was so out of breath that in the first minutes he could not say anything, he could only shake his head.

“What is it?” the military commissar could not resist. - Speak clearly.

“Our Jews are beating,” the fighter breathed.

The dream disappeared in an instant, as if there were no restless nights. Shepelev tensed, the nodules were running down his cheeks.

- Where?! – the military commissar asked dully.

- And in Polonnoye, and in another place, a mile away from it...

When Shepelev, together with his secretary Hagan - also a Jew, but a normal guy, one of his own - rushed to the town, the pogrom was in full swing. Screams were heard from almost every house. The Budenovites restored the nerves lost in saber cutting.

We went into the first hut, where two tethered horses were shifting from foot to foot near the outskirts. On the floor, hacked to pieces with broadswords, lay a Jewish family - an old man of about sixty, an old woman, their son. Another bloodied Jew was moaning on the bed.

Assistant Military Commissar Hagan turned pale. He probably remembered the Black Hundred pogroms, the drunken faces of bandits under the royal banners. There are no more banners, now red crimson banners flutter in the wind - what has just changed?

Meanwhile, looters were operating in the next room. Some Red Army soldier, together with a pretty woman in a medical headscarf, was stuffing simple Jewish belongings into immense trunks.

- Don't move! - the military commissar said imperiously, but the Red Army soldier - where did the agility come from - pushed him away and rolled head over heels out of the house. The woman ran after him. They ran down the street, raising their legs high, and Shepelev even felt sorry for them. He imagined how funny these two people would twitch now, how, having flown forward by inertia, they would fall flat on the ground as soon as they pressed the trigger on the revolver.

- Whoa-oh! “Shepelev shouted as loud as he could, but the marauders did not listen to him, and then the military commissar raised his revolver.

One clap. Second.

After the third shot, the marauder fell dead, and with him, screaming like a woman in fear, the nurse collapsed into the dust.

She lay there, unable to utter a word, and only silently whispered something with her lips white with fear.

- Who is she? – Shepelev leaned over the woman. - Which regiment?

She didn’t answer right away, catching her breath:

- 4th squadron. 33rd Regiment - And, as if waking up, she began to shout at the top of her voice: - Don’t kill! I pray to Christ God... Have pity on the children.

“Stand up,” the military commissar said disgustedly. - No one will kill you... Come with us.

... Generosity is a characteristic of strong people. If the commissar had shot the marauder on the spot, his whole life could have gone differently. But he took pity on her.

How did Shepelev know that he had no more than an hour to live...

“Driving further through the town, we kept coming across individuals along the street who continued to rob. Comrade Shepelev convincingly asked them to disperse in parts. Many had bottles of moonshine in their hands; under the threat of execution on the spot, it was taken from them and immediately poured out.

When leaving the town we met brigade commander 1 (commander of the 1st brigade. - Note auto.) Comrade A book with a half-squadron, which, in turn, was engaged in expelling bandits from the town. Comrade Shepelev told about everything that happened in the town and, having handed over the horse of the shot man along with his arrested sister to the military commander of the brigade, Comrade. Romanov, went towards Poleshtadiv (field headquarters of the division. - Note auto.)».

From the report of the commander of the 1st brigade Knigi, the military commissar of the Romanov brigade and the chief of staff of the brigade Berlev (September 28, 1920):

“We met with Comrade. Shepelev, who reported that he shot a soldier of the 33rd Cavalry Regiment at the scene of the robbery. Having reported this, Comrade. Shepelev went ahead. After some time, we also went for our units and, having caught up with them, we learned that Comrade. Shepelev was arrested by the 31st Cavalry Regiment..."

... The clatter of hooves grew closer, and finally military commissar Shepelev caught up with the line of fighters.

- Which regiment? – Pausing, he called out to the commander.

- Thirty-third.

Shepelev spurred his horse, but did not have time to gallop far.

“Here he is, this bitch,” came a heart-rending cry. - He wanted to shoot us.

The despondency immediately left the faces of the fighters. The squadrons stopped. About ten people rushed to the military commissar. Most looked expectantly, but some also broke ranks.

- Look, what a face he has eaten... While we are dying here, these bitches are fattening... The rear rat...

The screams became more and more aggressive, and Shepelev already regretted that he had stopped.

“Kill him... Finish him... Discarded,” boomed through the ranks.

- Stop it! – regiment commander Cherkasov screamed at the top of his lungs. His throat was tinned, dating back to the First World War, he could shout out anyone. However, Shepelev was also a proven commissar.

They barely shouted down the fighters. Cursing, the Red Army soldiers returned to duty, spitting from powerlessness and anger.

It seems to have flown by... But, as luck would have it, brigade commander Book arrived. In his saddle sat an arrested rioter - a sister of mercy.

- Baba for what? – the fighters got excited. - Of course, it’s easier to fight with women...

The brigade commander tried to shut up the nurse, but this only added fuel to the fire.

“We don’t have the old regime anymore,” the Budenovites roared. - Let the woman explain what she did wrong.

The military commissar wearily turned to the nurse:

- Speak.

“I’m...,” the woman took a deep breath, “I’m – what... They killed Vasyatka...”

- Who? – the crowd went wild.

“This one,” the nurse pointed to the military commissar, “personally...

Everything started again.

“Stop this nit,” the cavalrymen shouted. – He kills our brothers, and we remain silent?!

Later, the secretary of the military commissar Hagan, recalling these minutes, will again and again wonder how he managed to stay alive. Miraculously, brigade commander Book managed to pull him and the military commissar out of the ring of enraged, half-drunk people. True, this could no longer change anything. The heated crowd was thirsty for blood and was already carried along, as if stones were carried during a mountain collapse, unable to stop.

From the report of the secretary of the military commissar of the 6th Cavalry Division Hagan:

“We didn’t even have time to drive a hundred fathoms when about 100 Red Army soldiers separated from the 31st regiment, caught up with us, jumped up to the military commissar and snatched his weapon. At the same time, the Red Army soldiers of the 32nd regiment, which was marching ahead, began to join. (...)

A shot was fired from a revolver, which wounded Comrade. Shepelev in the left shoulder right through. Comrade managed with difficulty. The book is to tear him wounded out of the enraged heap and take him to the first hut he comes across and provide medical assistance.

When Comrade Book, accompanied by me and military commissar Romanov, called Comrade. Shepelev goes outside to put it on the ruler, we are again surrounded by a crowd of Red Army soldiers, pushing me and Kniga away from Comrade. Shepelev, and with a second shot mortally wounded him in the head.

The corpse of the murdered comrade. Shepelev was besieged by a crowd of Red Army soldiers for a long time, and at his last breath they shouted “the bastard, he’s still breathing, cut him down with sabers.” Some tried to steal their boots, but the military commissar of the 31st regiment stopped them, but the wallet, along with documents, including a code, was pulled out from comrade. Shepelev from his pocket.

At this time, a paramedic comes up and, looking only at Comrade. Shepeleva, states that Comrade. Shepelev was drunk. (...)

Only half an hour after the murder, we managed to put his corpse on a cart and take it to Polestadiv-6.”

From the report of the commander of the 1st Cavalry Brigade, V. Knigi, to the head of the 6th Cavalry Division:

“I cannot indicate who exactly was the murderer of the military commissar, since in such a dump it was difficult to establish who exactly shot.”

No one could accuse the military commissar of the 33rd regiment - the same one where the marauder shot by Shepelev - of cowardice. He went through hundreds of bloody fellings. Through German gases. Through hand-to-hand hell.

But that evening, September 28, the military commissar, perhaps for the first time in many years, felt uneasy and this long-forgotten feeling of frightening uncertainty infuriated him. It drove me crazy...

He learned about Shepelev's murder in the evening. He immediately gathered squadron commanders and commissars. He ordered that all measures be taken to ensure that the fighters were on the ground.

“Comrade military commissar,” the commander of the 4th squadron rose from his seat, we will not be able to restrain people... In general, I’m afraid that something worse than pogroms would happen.

- That is? – the military commissar did not understand.

- They can beat the commissars...

“They can,” the assistant of the 5th squadron supported him. “There is talk among the fighters that it would be nice to kill the commissars at night.”

The military commissar turned pale. He knew his horsemen well - you can expect anything from these guys, they have no brakes.

They prepared for the night as if for battle. We took up defensive positions in the guardhouse. The military commissar of the 5th squadron together with the soldiers - the squadron was decent, calmer than the others - went on patrol.

That’s right, as soon as it got dark, the Red Army soldiers of the 3rd and 1st squadrons rushed to neighboring towns to smash the Jews. The regiment commander urgently went after them - he hoped, naively, to stop the pogrom. The military commissar rode to the division...

– And so it is constantly - pogrom after pogrom... A week ago, in Golovlya, two peasants were killed just because they were cleanly dressed... Or another case: the military commissar of the 43rd regiment arrested three of my bandits for looting. The 2nd and 3rd squadrons walked by. The bandits were released, but the military commissar barely escaped with his feet. They wanted to kill.

Neither give nor take - the Areopagus over the Mausoleum...

It is clear that officials of such magnitude could not go to positions on their own, without instructions from above. This means there was a team, and the most serious one at that. Whose? It's not hard to guess. In those years, the country had only two leaders: Lenin and Trotsky. And both of them were extremely worried about the situation in the First Cavalry...

Meanwhile, events in the First Cavalry are developing rapidly. Realizing that Shepelev’s murder has already reached the very top, and the situation is becoming irreversible, Budyonny and Voroshilov begin to do everything possible to justify themselves in the eyes of the Kremlin. Otherwise (and even then in the best case scenario), they will face a shameful resignation.

At first, however, the army command does not take any serious measures: maybe it will blow through. It didn't work. In October, an angry dispatch from the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, Trotsky, arrived from Moscow. We can’t delay any longer...

On October 9, Budyonny and Voroshilov issued a draconian order: to disarm and disband three regiments (31st, 32nd, 33rd) of the 6th division, “stained with unheard-of shame and crime,” and all “murderers, thugs, bandits, provocateurs and accomplices" to be immediately arrested and brought to justice.

However, it is not enough to sign one order - it must also be implemented... Voroshilov himself later admitted: he and Budyonny were seriously afraid that this order could stir up the entire “disgraced” 6th Division and lead to a riot.

In order to avoid completely unnecessary unrest at this moment - then resignation certainly cannot be avoided - the army command is conducting a real military operation in the village of Olshanniki, where the 6th division was stationed...

Let us, however, give the floor to the direct organizer and participant of these events. This is how Deputy Army Commander Kliment Voroshilov described what was happening before the government commission:

“It was ordered to build a division near the railway line. But the bandits did not yawn, from which we can conclude that they had an excellent organization - the bandits did not show up, and the division was not built in in full force. Of those regiments that were the most dirty, approximately fifty percent formed.

When we arrived, it was immediately ordered to cover the division from the flanks and rear, and two armored trains were placed along the railroad bed. Thus, the division found itself surrounded. It made an amazing impression. All the fighters and command staff did not know what would happen next, and the provocateurs whispered that there would be executions.

We demanded that everyone line up. The division commander immediately declares that he cannot do anything. To give orders to ourselves meant to lose prestige. We drove through rows of clean regiments. Comrade Budyonny and I said a few comradely words to them. They said that honest fighters should not be afraid of anything, that they know us, we know them, etc. This immediately brought a new mood. Order was quickly restored, clean brigades were pitted against dirty ones. The command “at attention” was given. After this comrade. Minin artistically read the order (on the disbandment of three regiments and the arrest of the organizers of pogroms and murders. - Note auto.).

After reading the order, they began to carry it out. One of the regiments had a battle banner from the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, brought by Comrade. Kalinin. Commander (Budyony. – Note auto) orders the banner to be taken away. Many fighters start crying, outright sobbing. Here we already felt that the audience was entirely in our hands. We ordered to lay down our weapons, step aside and hand over the instigators. After this, 107 people were extradited, and the fighters promised to present those who had escaped..."

It’s not without reason that we highlighted the words “artistically” and “public”. It seems that in this almost “Freudian” slip lies the key to understanding everything that is happening.

“We felt like we had the audience in our hands.”

Who could say such a phrase? Director? - Yes.

Theater entrepreneur? - Without a doubt.

At worst, the owner of a traveling circus. But not the future marshal and thrice hero. In his mouth it sounds wild, it hurts the ears.

And at the same time, not even a shadow of doubt arises that this time Voroshilov - contrary to his custom - is speaking sincerely. (What breaks out involuntarily, from somewhere gradually, is generally more believable.)

Years will pass. The theatrical talent of Voroshilov - a marshal who had not won a single battle, a party official declared “the first red officer” - would become known throughout the country.

It was he who was the first - back in the late 20s - to publicly call Stalin the most brilliant commander and attribute to him other people's victories in the Civil War.

It is he who will send thousands of generals and officers - his friends and comrades - to death, just to survive himself.

It is he, who sang hosannas to Stalin for thirty years, who will renounce him before the rooster even crows, and then also shamelessly brand his own like-minded people with shame - Molotov, Kaganovich, “and Shepilov, who joined them.”

He will transform with the same ease as actors do on stage. Change their views just as they change their roles. Masterfully get into character. So masterly that he will retire only at the age of 90...

But if it weren’t for the play that Voroshilov staged with his partner Budyonny in the fall of 20, perhaps this career would not have happened.

At all costs they must be shown " federal center"that all errors in the First Cavalry have been taken into account and corrected. That the murder of Commissioner Shepelev is an exclusively private phenomenon that has nothing to do with the overall picture. That the situation in the army is completely under the control of the command.

This is why a completely clumsy passage about the “organization of bandits” arises - they say, if the division did not line up on time, then the bandits have an “excellent organization” (a good organization: when drunk, they can destroy unarmed Jews).

This idea—that everything is to blame for the bandits who tricked their way into the orderly ranks of the cavalry, these wolves in sheep’s guise—is very beneficial for Budyonny and Voroshilov. It is no coincidence that the text of the order to disband the three regiments, as if by chance, says: “someone’s spy hand immediately pulled Comrade out of his pocket. Shepelev secret military documents".

Whose? The hint is clear. Where there are bandits, there are spies. Today he plays jazz, and tomorrow...

“Where the criminal regiments of the still glorious 1st Cavalry Army recently passed, the institutions of Soviet power are destroyed, honest workers quit their jobs and run away at the mere rumor of the approach of bandit units. The Red rear is ruined, upset, and through this the correct supply and leadership of the Red armies fighting at the front is destroyed.

The working population, who once greeted the 1st Cavalry Army with jubilation, now sends curses after it. The name of the first cavalry army is disgraced. Our glorious battle flags are stained with the blood of innocent victims. The enemy rejoices from the treacherous help he received and from the disintegration of parts of our army.”

So, the Budenovites have nothing to do with the pogroms and robberies. This is the work of exclusively “bandits, robbers, provocateurs and enemy spies” (another quote from the same order).

Very convenient explanation. It not only relieves Voroshilov and Budyonny of responsibility for what is happening. It also whitewashes the entire First Cavalry, because it turns out that the army, for the most part, is clean and healthy. Only the 6th Division was mired in pogroms and murders - but they also managed to “deal with it”, surrounding it in a ring and even bringing in a couple of armored trains. ( The best remedy For dandruff, the French say, the guillotine.)

Of course, there was no point in dispersing the division. With the same success, almost half of all units of the Cavalry could have been disbanded. But common sense was the last thing that bothered Budyonny and Voroshilov. It was a demonstrative action. A special effect – to use theatrical language. A demonstrative flogging timed to coincide with the arrival of the Moscow commission. The 6th Division was simply sacrificed to the situation.

This is despite all the assurances and oaths of the divisional command. Ironically (or maybe because of orders from above - who knows), the division leaders, trying to justify themselves, made the same arguments as Voroshilov and Budyonny, focusing on “saboteurs”, “saboteurs”, and “spies”. A sort of vertical of demagoguery.

Another quote is from the transcript of the general meeting of all commanders and military commissars of the 6th Cavalry Division, convened on the initiative of Divisional Commander Apanasenko. (Something like an officers' meeting.)

Each speaker skillfully places emphasis.

Chief of Staff of the Sheko Division:

“Agents of Petlyura and Wrangel penetrate our midst and corrupt the division. We, all conscious people, need to unite in order to achieve victory over the enemies of the revolution once and for all.”

Assistant commander of the 31st regiment Sedelnikov:

“I know the soldiers of my regiment as honest defenders of the revolution, I see in all this the vile work of agents of capitalism and the dying bourgeoisie.”

Chairman of the repair and procurement commission Dyakov:

“The insignificant groups of bandits who have clung to us are discrediting the honor of the division. I propose to swear that from this day on there will be no place for such elements in our division.”

This meeting was held on October 3rd. And the next day, the former commissar of the 1st brigade, Romanov, who was appointed to replace the killed Shepelev as the division’s military commissar, sends a devastating report to the RVS of the Cavalry.

One can only guess about the reasons for this action: Romanov was present at the divisional meeting, but for some reason he did not want to take the floor. I preferred to immediately inform the authorities.

What is this? The usual intrigue? Cry of the soul? Or maybe the military commander did not act on his own initiative? Someone advised Romanov to show “principle”? Did he hint that Voroshilov and Budyonny would not forget him?

However, all this is already in the realm of speculation. No documents or evidence on this matter were preserved in the archives (and could not have been preserved: experienced politicians leave no traces).

But the report itself has been preserved. It was he who served as the last straw in the decision of the army leadership to hand over the rebellious division to slaughter...

“The situation of the division lately has been very serious. Almost every regiment is definitely inhabited by gangs of bandits who have made strong nests there, against which it is necessary to wage the most decisive struggle, because now, taking our Army to the rear, they are doing something terrible along the way: robbing, raping, killing and setting fire even at home. All this is especially evident in relation to the Jewish population; there is almost no place where there are not Jewish victims, completely innocent of anything.

The reason for all these phenomena are the following facts: firstly, this evil had been brewing for a long time in the division, and at one time no measures were taken to prevent it. This is the deceitful policy of the military commissars, at a time when they assured in their political reports that everything was going well in the units, which was not the case in reality. An example of this is the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, which numbers up to 400 communists, but this is only on paper - they do not exist in life.

The unconscious bandit mass, which is not amenable to absolutely political treatment, remains completely unpunished. An example is when I handed over those responsible for the wounding of the Military Commissar of the 31st Cavalry Regiment, Comrade. Kuznetsov to the Revolutionary Military Tribunal, then instead of the criminals receiving due punishment, they were not only not convicted by the Revolutionary Tribunal, but were even acquitted, and were returned back to the brigade, like the criminals for the murder of the Military Combrig, Comrade. Zhukov, who happened before me. The consequence of such actions was the murder of Comrade. Shepeleva.

Taking into account all of the above, I am taking all possible measures on my part to bring the division into proper condition, but, nevertheless, I find that I alone cannot cope now, and therefore I propose to urgently equip an expeditionary detachment to remove everyone from the division bandit elements, and hiding agents of Petliura, Wrangel and the White Poles, because, otherwise, the division will soon, in its larger composition, be able to serve as a good addition to those gangs against which we are now going to fight.”

- Well, who will start? - Chairman of the All-Union Central Executive Committee, All-Union Elder Kalinin, glanced through the round lenses of his glasses.

There was silence at the table for a few seconds. Everyone looked at Army Commander Budyonny, but he sat without reacting, picking out dirt from under his nails with a penknife.

“Allow me,” Voroshilov immediately hurried to his friend’s rescue. He, like no one else, knew how tongue-tied Budyonny could be. In saber cutting he has no equal, but disputes and discussions are not his element.

Kalinin nodded approvingly, and in this nod Voroshilov felt some kind of sign that was only understandable to him. Take action, Klim. If you manage to swim, swim out, no one will drown you on purpose.

He, in general, is not his enemy - Kalinin: a normal man, from the workers, no match for any counts. Nobles - they are nobles. White bone. No matter what speeches are pushed from the stands about equality and brotherhood, they will never stand on the same level as the peasant. It’s like Turgenev’s bars, who talked casually with the servants, but pressed a scented handkerchief to their mouth: democracy is democracy, but the smell from the peasant is too heavy.

How many of these “pure” Bolshevik romantics did the former Luhansk mechanic Voroshilov meet on his way? Those who went to the revolution not out of hunger, not out of despair - from noble boredom or Jewish curiosity, having read all sorts of romantic dregs, like Stepnyak-Kravchinsky.

Voroshilov understood: in these hours his future should be decided. If they fail to talk the commission out of it now, all their many years of work will go down the drain. But how much effort did they spend to subjugate the First Cavalry and get rid of competitors? The story with Dumenko alone is worth it. And Mironov?

Only who cares about this now. They will be removed in disgrace, sent somewhere beyond the Urals - to third roles. The successes of the First Cavalry blind the eyes of too many: and the ubiquitous security officers, who cannot forgive them and Budyonny for their independence, for the fact that they do not run to bow to them, do not curry favor, like others. And Leibe Bronstein-Trotsky, in whom Jewish blood plays: pogroms of small towns, you see, offend him, although Cossacks without pogroms are the same as a revolution without Jews.

Voroshilov once again glanced briefly at those sitting at the table, as if trying to understand what to expect from whom. Lunacharsky - People's Commissariat for Education, Semashko - People's Commissariat of Health; “white collar workers”, nobles - these are perhaps the most dangerous, they are too intelligent. Especially Commander-in-Chief Kamenev, the former General Staff colonel: like all “military experts”, he treats peasant commanders with contempt and does not take them seriously.

People's Commissar of Justice Kursky is a simpler man, a former warrant officer, although also one of the “old Bolsheviks.” Preobrazhensky is a member of the Central Committee, recent secretary of the Ural Regional Committee. This is not clear: he is a black sheep and has not yet managed to prove himself in any way. Evdokimov – deputy. the head of the special department of the front, newly appointed: Voroshilov did not particularly like this brethren.

In general, one hope lies in Kalinin, an old acquaintance from Petrograd: together we made a revolution in 1917. His opinion will be dominant: Voroshilov understood this immediately as soon as the commission arrived at army headquarters.

He shook his head for a second, as if about to jump off a cliff...

- I want to touch brief history our movement on the Polish front, so that the situation in which our army now finds itself becomes clear. – Voroshilov started from afar. “As we walked forward, the mood was excellent. When the moment of withdrawal arrived, by this time the army had reached its highest tension and fatigue. It was necessary to immediately withdraw, at least in separate parts, for rest or pour in new fresh large reinforcements to make it possible to take a break on the spot. This was not done.

The commission members listened attentively, did not interrupt, and the silence was sweeter than any music.

“The elements opposed to it immediately raised their heads,” encouraged by the silence, Voroshilov moved to his favorite skate. - In addition, along the way there was a replenishment of volunteers, of whom, as it turned out later, there was a lot of rubbish. Especially the 6th division, consisting of volunteers from the Stavropol province - themselves small-proprietor elements, at the beginning of the retreat they turned out to be a nucleus of bandits.

(He applauded inwardly: “About the 6th “rebel” division and the small-proprietor elements - well done.”)

– For the first time on September 23-24, we learned that not everything was going well in the 6th Division. This division remained at a distance of 80-100 miles from us, and we, being in the main units, did not even suspect that anything was happening there, because there were no reports from the division commander. And those vile pogrom actions that began in the division were unexpected. But we quickly found out everything, and measures were immediately taken.

After these words, Kalinin nodded approvingly. They had already told him in detail about the measures taken. Forty rebels were expelled even before his arrival.

But not everyone agreed with Kalinin.

“You say that measures were taken immediately,” one of the commission members said. Voroshilov did not have time to see who exactly: most likely Lunacharsky. – Why were the bandit regiments disbanded only two weeks later?

“Oh, you bore. You’re probably waiting for me to say: because a telegram arrived from Trotsky?!”

“We couldn’t immediately take drastic decisive measures,” Voroshilov retorted without hesitation. – In other divisions the general objective situation was the same. Only subjectively the composition there was better. Therefore, it took about 2 weeks of preparatory work. It was necessary to have units that, if necessary, would shoot.

– What does it mean that the situation is the same in other divisions? – The voice did not subside.

– Yes, there were difficulties in other divisions. – Voroshilov answered as calmly as possible. It was stupid to hide the obvious. On the contrary, the more openly you talk about your shortcomings, the more confidence you will have.

– In the 11th division there was a little bit of it, but it was liquidated in advance. But the operation on the 6th Division, of course, made a sobering impression on the other divisions, we now need to “pump up” the public, and you came to us at a very necessary moment.

He uttered the last phrase especially for the “nobles,” and from the way the commission members blushed, he realized that he had hit the nail on the head. A turning point was clearly evident in the general mood, and Voroshilov immediately rushed to take advantage of it.

- Of course, there was nothing dangerous or scary. – After these words, even Budyonny perked up in surprise and blinked his eyelashes in surprise. – Although, the 6th Division certainly did a lot of outrages. But now, I repeat, the army is absolutely healthy. Even in the condition that existed in the 6th Division, its combat effectiveness was not lost; all operational orders were carried out, because they did not connect the slaughter of the Jews with any connection with military discipline.

Voroshilov finished and looked around the table. By all appearances, his speech was a success. If only the following speakers don't let us down.

– Comrade Voroshilov, giving a picture of events, lost sight of one important circumstance. – A member of the army RVS, Minin spoke without even asking a word, he still felt like a significant figure. In 1917, Minin was chairman of the Tsaritsyn Revolutionary Committee, then carried out special tasks for the Central Committee and Lenin personally on the Western Front and treated exile to the First Cavalry as a temporary phenomenon. If anyone should have expected a dirty trick from anyone, it was only from him, although the day before everything seemed to have been discussed and negotiated.

“The command staff was knocked out in large numbers, and the 6th Division, while maintaining its combat capability, was almost a crowd, because commanders had to be appointed from among the fighters, and the army in this form began to retreat.

(“No, Minin didn’t let us down.”)

– It should also be noted that the enemy paid special attention to the cavalry army, in the sense of its internal decomposition. The 6th Division, during its retreat, was detained on the Polish front, and thus, without a leading command staff, left to its own devices, it immediately became filled with criminal elements.

Minin pronounced phrases abruptly, minted words. He was already carried away, and Voroshilov felt that now a member of the RVS, the old Bolshevik Minin, with all his party obstinacy, would steer in the wrong direction. And exactly.

“Then I must say (“I must! That’s exactly what I must!”) that this negative phenomenon definitely affected other divisions. So, in the 11th division the supply chief was killed. Then, in the same 11th division, where we stood at the station until September 30, individual bandit-minded units released those arrested from the special department. When we took action and drove away the bandits, after some time we received information that the regiments of the 2nd brigade of the 11th division were coming towards us. A delegation came and stated that the Jews had arrested the Budenovites, and when they wanted to free them, they were fired upon. We explained what was happening and told the shelves to stop. But at this time they had already approached the station and were in great bewilderment when they saw us instead of the Jews. The next day we demanded the extradition of the instigators, and 8 bandits and 9 instigators were handed over to us. This was on the 30th, and on the 28th the Berdichev prison was unloaded. It was done as before - under the slogan that the Jews and communists were imprisoning Budenovites. The Revolutionary Military Council gave an order to provide information and arrest the perpetrators. But information did not arrive for a long time, until finally we went ourselves and found out that the commanders of the 4th and 5th squadrons had been arrested.

(“Lord, where did it go?! Why did it have to touch other divisions!”)

However, Minin, it seems, had already realized his mistake, and therefore began to sharply turn back.

– The day of the operation in the 6th Cavalry Division should be considered a day of turning point, not in the narrow sense of the word - an increase in combat effectiveness, but of purification from unsuitable elements. Your arrival is a very happy coincidence with everything that happened. The turning point has already been outlined, we already have 270 people handed over as fighters, and now the cleanup work must begin. We propose holding a series of non-party conferences and several days of party work so that the army is washed and perfumed. So your work will have very fertile ground.

He finished, quite pleased with himself. About the happy arrival of the commission and about the washed army - it turned out well. And about the role of the party organization; Let them know in Moscow that since 1905, the Bolshevik Minin has not been eating his bread in vain.

“Who else wants to speak out?” Kalinin was in no hurry to draw conclusions; he was playing at democracy.

The head of the army's political department, Vardin, stood up. He pulled down his tunic. He spoke with Georgian fervor.

“For three and a half months the army was without a break in the fighting. When we start talking about political work, we need to keep this in mind.

Vardin is worried, oh worried, the Caucasian accent breaks through immediately. Speaking before members of the Central Committee is not like reading a political manual in Cossack circles.

- In the same 6th Cavalry Division during this time, the commissar composition changed 2-3 times and, of course, with a lower-ranking element. Our weakest point is the squadron commissars. They are usually ordinary fighters, communists, but very weak communists, and who sometimes are not averse to shouting along with the fighters: “beat the Jews!”

(“Thank God,” flashed through Voroshilov’s head, “that there is not a single Jew on the commission. Apparently, the Central Committee realized that there is no point in teasing the geese.”)

– Now about anti-Semitism. Vardin said exactly that “about anti-Semitism.” - Yes, anti-Semitism, as in any peasant army, took place. But anti-Semitism is passive. The slogan “beat the Jews!” still hasn't been heard. For us, there was a much more serious issue - the attitude towards prisoners, who were mercilessly killed and stripped. But it was difficult for the political department of the Revolutionary Military Council to fight this.

And in this situation, our army did not receive even a 10th share of the number of political workers it needed. The first batch of workers - about 200 people - arrived at the end of June, from which it was possible to take a dozen or two workers who could carry out the work. The second serious detachment - 370 people, but when they began to distribute them, only a small part, some two or three dozen, turned out to be suitable, and the rest were either completely unsuited to the army, or were completely sick, deaf, lame...

“So,” Lunacharsky grinned, “300 deaf and mute agitators...

“That’s right,” Vardin grew bolder and spoke confidently and clearly. – All these circumstances led to the fact that political work was and is at a very low level. The other day a party conference was convened, at which anti-Semitic notes were submitted. They ask why the Jews are in power, we simply deprived them of their mandates and allowed them to remain with the right of an advisory vote. Our prospects depend only on whether there will be people or not.

(“Well, he turned everything around,” Voroshilov appreciated the cunning wisdom of his student. “He shifted all responsibility to the center. They say, give us political workers, we will maintain the situation. No, blame yourself.”)

Meanwhile, without allowing the commission to come to its senses, Minin again seized the initiative. Purely Budenovsky tactics: organize a breakthrough of the enemy’s defense, throw all your forces at him.

“Given the situation in which our army was,” Minin continued, “the rear institutions were constantly being torn away, and the picture that emerged was that people with broken ribs were lying around for several days. Previously, the institutions were so neglected that they did not look like Soviet institutions at all. For example, the boss was shot administrative management- for violence, other communists - for violation of discipline, etc.

Finally, the army commander cast his voice - for the first and only time. He gave it, as usual, inappropriately, and Voroshilov again praised the leaders for their generosity: if there was at least one Jew on the commission - the word “Jew”, so beloved by Budyonny and the Budenovites, he did not even utter in his thoughts, he loved his wife Ekaterina Davidovna too much - so, If only one Jew had come with the commission, oh, it wouldn’t have been easy for them and Budyonny...

“And here, even when we were passing through this idiotic Ukraine, where the slogan “beat the Jews!” is everywhere,” Budyonny began right off the bat, again returning to the painful Jewish topic, although no one pushed him to this, “and, besides, the fighters They always return from hospitals very dissatisfied. They are treated poorly in the infirmaries, and there is no help at the stations when returning. And so, having turned to one Jewish commandant, to another and not receiving help, or instead of help - abuse, they see that they are abandoned without any contempt, and, returning to the ranks, they bring disintegration, talking about grievances, they say that We fight here, give our lives, but no one does anything there.

Voroshilov saw how the faces of Lunacharsky, Semashka and other intellectuals stretched out, and he himself was rather offended by Budyonny’s speech. Typical anti-Semitic logic: the Jews are to blame for everything. And if the commandants were crests - what then? However, what else can you expect from an illiterate Cossack, a recent non-commissioned officer, who, by the will of fate, was carried by a wave to the very top.

“Of course, the criminal hand is deliberately campaigning on this basis. – Budyonny did not slow down. He managed to become quite good at disseminating demagoguery. “But we have already taken a big step in eradicating these criminal elements, and now we are all very happy to welcome you, thank you for coming, and we hope that you will work with our fighters, who, spending all their time in blood and battles, do not see anyone and they hear little.

“Well,” Kalinin nodded with satisfaction, “it seems to me that the comrades told us in sufficient detail about what was happening in the army.” They did not hide anything, did not try to hide their weaknesses from the Central Committee. – He smiled and looked at Voroshilov. – I propose to take their reports into account and final decision accept after returning to Moscow, but for now move on to solving purely technical issues...

“He’s insuring himself,” Voroshilov realized. “Apparently, there have been no clear indications about us yet.”

But something told him that main danger has already passed. The most unpleasant thing is behind us.

He and Budyonny withstood this battle, which, perhaps, was even more difficult than the Battle of Yegorlyk or the “Mironov case” combined...

The commission left for Moscow a few days later. We parted almost comradely.

And although Kalinin did not say anything specific in parting, he got off with general phrases, there was no longer the anxiety that Voroshilov had experienced earlier. He was almost sure that the enterprise he staged was a great success: none of the “artists” let us down. Even security officers.

The latter was especially important, because the relationship between the cavalry elite and the army counterintelligence had already gone too far.

The head of the special department, the stubborn Latvian Zvederis, became emboldened to the point that he sent slander directly to Dzerzhinsky, but neither Budyonny nor Voroshilov could do anything about it: the special officers did not obey them.

What started it all? If anyone had asked them about this, neither Voroshilov nor Zvederis would probably have been able to explain it properly. From ordinary little things.

One did not invite the other to the meeting. The second - without informing - undertook to carry out some kind of operation. Nonsense, in general. But this nonsense, like a snowball, grew every day. No one wanted to give in to each other, to condescend, everyone imagined himself to be too much of a boss. And when they came to their senses, it was already too late, the enmity had taken root too deeply.

More than once or twice, Voroshilov and Budyonny figured out how to get rid of the rebellious special officer and get him out of the army. But Dzerzhinsky did not give offense to his people: that is why he came up with military counterintelligence, to keep the army under control - it is no coincidence that he personally headed a special department of the Cheka.

But, as they say, there would be no happiness, but misfortune helped...

And again we are invading the sphere of conjectures and hypotheses: too few documents have been preserved in the “case of the First Cavalry”. Most of the papers were destroyed back in the 1970s.

The immutable facts are as follows: on October 13, Kalinin heard oral reports from the chief of logistics in Kremenchug and the head of the Kremenchug “check,” who told the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee about rampant banditry.

“We have about 2 thousand bayonets at our disposal, and up to 3 thousand organized bandits,” the logistics chief complained to Kalinin. “And they are also joined by armed peasants.”

“Help from our side is almost impossible. – The Chairman of the Cheka Magon fully supported him. “A very undesirable phenomenon is that the Cheka is 70 percent Jewish, and it is absolutely impossible to send them to the village.”

Of course, these reports did not in any way compromise the hated counterintelligence chief Zvederis, especially since the special departments were not subordinate to the local security agencies. But almost certainly their words were etched in Kalinin’s memory, which means he couldn’t help but wonder: why do the bandits feel so free and unpunished in the province?

He receives the answer to this question two days later, from a certain representative of a special department of the Cavalry named Novitsky.

Who is Novitsky? What is his position? Why, in the end, he, and not the head of counterintelligence, makes a report to the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee - the second person in the state - none of this can now be established.

There is only a typewritten sheet containing an “oral report to the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the representative of the Special Department of the First Cavalry Army Novitsky,” which, however, is more like a denunciation.

“The work in the First Cavalry Army is unsatisfactory. Under the head of the Special Department, Zvederis, absolutely nothing was done. Anti-Semitic and anti-communist sentiments developed in the army. No measures were taken.

When retreating to the mountains. The first signs of pogroms appeared. When I reported to the boss and asked what needed to be done, I was told that nothing special had been done, that only 4 shops had been destroyed.”

Was this report inspired by Voroshilov and Budyonny, or was the security officer Novitsky used in the dark? And again - a question without an answer. It is only clear that on their own, without outside help, some “representative” of the special department would never have been able to achieve an audience with Kalinin himself.

And who, if not the army elite, was most interested in compromising the chief counterintelligence officer of the First Cavalry?

Budyonny and Voroshilov are experienced intriguers. They have already had plenty of similar provocations. Actually, primarily thanks to such “delicate” matters, the future marshals received the First Cavalry under their command and gained the glory of heroes of the revolution.

First there was the story of Dumenko, a career officer, under whose command the cavalier of St. George Budyonny served, who began his career with 24 Cossacks - the same bashi-bazouks as himself - raided the village of Platovskaya, cut out the convoy and liberated captured Red Guards.

In the morning there were already 520 bayonets in his detachment. It was with them that Budyonny joined the retreating 10th Army.

The cavalry talent of the experienced grunt quickly showed itself. Budyonny began to grow, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not advance to the leading roles. He always remained Dumenko’s deputy - in the regiment, brigade, then in the division.

It was then that the party functionary Voroshilov, who was thrown into army work, noticed him. The future marshals became friends, and very soon Dumenko was arrested and sentenced to death: they accused him of a counter-revolutionary conspiracy. Having got rid of the burden, Budyonny was immediately appointed commander of the First Cavalry Corps.

But here a new obstacle lay in wait for the comrades-in-arms: the commander of the Second Cavalry Corps, Mironov, who did not want to recognize their superiority. And again the same methods were used: Budyonny arrested Mironov on a false charge of treason, and only the hasty intervention of the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Union, Trotsky, who personally knew Mironov, saved him from execution. However, he lost the body. The Mironovsky units joined the Budennovsky formation: on their basis the legendary First Cavalry was soon created...

Of course, it would also be more convenient to accuse the security officer Zvederis of treason (and it would be more common), but it’s unlikely that anything will come of it. Dzerzhinsky will not hand over his spy to the slaughter - he will take all the denunciations to himself, double-check: the hour is uneven, and then he himself will have to take the rap for slander.

But it was not for nothing that Comrade Stalin said (or will say again): there are no fortresses that the Bolsheviks could not take.

Voroshilov and Budyonny were experienced, seasoned intriguers. Even own mistakes and failures - for which they almost had to say goodbye to their positions - they knew how to use them to serve their interests.

From the report of the security officer Novitsky, it turns out that it was the head of the special department, and not the army commander with his deputy, who was responsible for all the sins of the First Cavalry. It was he who did not take any measures to stop the outrages. It was he who turned a blind eye to everything. It was he who condoned the rioters and robbers.

Then why punish Budyonny and Voroshilov? Here he is, the main culprit - counterintelligence officer Zvederis. That's where all the demand comes from.

Familiar handwriting. In exactly the same way, according to the same scenarios, Dumenko and Mironov were removed before. And how much more will be removed later?...

In one fell swoop, Voroshilov and Budyonny solved two vital problems at once. They not only shifted their blame onto the shoulders of the special officer, but also dealt with the enemy in this way.

“Now, after the disarmament of the 6th Cavalry Division,” Novitsky concluded his report, “the dark element still remains in the division, and is campaigning for the release of the bandits handed over by the division.

We have very few forces and if these remaining bandits want, they will be able to recapture those arrested.”

The conclusion suggests itself: if Zvederis remains in his post, new shocks await the First Cavalry. But in this case, all responsibility will lie with the government commission and Kalinin personally: after all, they were warned in advance.

Too serious a risk. And the stakes in this game are too high, there is no time for justice (and when, after all, did justice play any role in political squabbles?).

We do not know whether the chairman of the Cheka made any efforts to protect his head of the special department. Even if we assume that something like this took place, Dzerzhinsky had practically no chance of winning. The fate of the rebellious Zvederis was now completely at the mercy of the Central Committee, became a political issue, and even Felix rarely dared to argue with the Central Committee.

However, Zvederis does not want to give up without a fight. He manages to send a report to the Presidium of the Cheka...

From the report of the head of the Special Department of the First Cavalry Army:

“From the moment we arrived at the Special Department of the 1st Cavalry Army, we had to deal with such an abnormal phenomenon as disagreements with the R.V.S. Army and the Special Department. First of all, we started the measures that were supposed to eliminate these misunderstandings and alienation of the Special Department from the Revolutionary Military Council, and we seemed to achieve success. But it only seemed so.

We have encountered an obstacle, which we consider in principle. We are the Revolutionary Military Council, and, in particular, its member, Comrade. Voroshilov, accused of provocation. We can’t figure out which one. I am sending you a copy of the intelligence investigation to identify a gang of bandits in the mountains. Ekaterinoslav..."

A small digression. The FSB archives contain a negligible number of operational cases from the 1920s. Most of them were destroyed simultaneously with their performers and developers back in the 30s.

One can only guess what the development was that the head of counterintelligence writes about. From the meager details mentioned by Zvederis, it is now impossible to build a single, integral picture. So – separate sketches, contours.

It's a shame. After all, this development became a stumbling block between the special department and Voroshilov. Because of her, the whole fuss flared up.

“When this operation was carried out, Comrade. Voroshilov raised the question that this was “generally a provocation.” During the explanations that were given to the RVS on this matter, Comrade. Voroshilov began to accuse us of the fact that the operation was not organized, and that nothing was done on our part to prevent casualties (during the shootout, the Commissioner for Searches and Arrests and five Red Army soldiers from the guard were wounded; the Commissioner died from his wound) .

Whether this was the fault of our lack of management and lack of preparation for this operation, we ask you to look at the material that is sent to you (it would be good to see, yes, alas... - Note auto.), or this was the reason for the objective conditions that existed during the operation / there was no electricity in the city at that time, there was a lamp that went out from a shot, the Red Army soldiers’ failure to comply with the directives that were given to them and explained in great detail /. If we are to blame for the fact that we lost one killed, then such operations can always be accompanied by such a phenomenon.

During the explanations of Comrade. Voroshilov said: “What are these four bandits for us (apparently detained during the operation. - Note auto) when the building of the Gubernia Financial Department was destroyed." I add that in the Gubernia Financial Department two windows were broken when the bandits tried to escape from the trap, and the ceiling was shot through during shooting. There was no further destruction. And, despite the fact that the development of the case was indicated and other bandits were handed over during interrogation, Comrade. Voroshilov remarked: “You will now grab everyone - whether he is guilty or not.” He doesn’t see any prospects in developing this case and considers our explanation not valid and “boyish.”

It was just a trailer. It must be said that Comrade. Voroshilov somehow generally has an unkind attitude towards the Special Branch, and with his arrival a thickened atmosphere was felt. Impatient of Emergency Bodies, comrade. Voroshilov organically cannot allow the Special Department of the Army to become stronger and get on its feet. Each boss stays for two or three months, after which, under some pretext, he is removed. The public knows this, and is so used to it that now in some Divisional Departments they are already impatiently talking - “why did we stay here for three months?”

The first full meeting in the Revolutionary Military Council, where they had to defend the existence of a Detachment under the Special Department (most likely, an anti-banditry detachment subordinated directly to army counterintelligence. - Note auto.) - when Voroshilov, denying the need for the required detachment, stated: “I will not allow anyone to carry out any operations in the units.” This was said in response to the fact that the existence of a detachment and division is necessary in case it becomes necessary to intensively remove bandits from units. In general, the five questions raised at this meeting about the Special Department met with the most demagogic rebuff from Voroshilov, and buckets of all sorts of dirt were poured out at the Special Department.

Subsequently, we had to come to the following conclusion:

Banditry will not be eradicated in the Army until as long as there is such a person as Voroshilov, for a person with such tendencies is clearly the person in whom all these half-partisans, half-bandits found support.”

We highlighted the phrase ourselves, because it is the essence of the culmination of the entire document.

Such serious accusations, however, require strong evidence. Voroshilov is a distinguished man, an old Bolshevik.

Zvederis provides such evidence...

“By this time demobilization had begun. A special triumphant, demobilization-festive mood was created, which resulted in general drunkenness and the complete collapse of the work of the Headquarters and institutions, which reached the point that when Makhno was 20 miles from Yekaterinoslav, and only by chance did not turn to rob, in the city, not only was there no actual force, but no protective measures were positively taken. In a word, the night survey gave the Special Department a wealth of material on the hibernation of the Headquarters, the garrison, the absence of responsible duties, security measures for operational points, etc. etc. Together with the seals and secret files of the Headquarters, its Operational Directorate, the Revolutionary Military Council, the City Commandant's Office, etc. that came to us.

At the same time, in the Revolutionary Military Council, both members, and especially their various “For Assignments” and secretaries, drank wine brought from the Crimea and the Caucasus. Things got so cynical that the public, drunk, went to various charity evenings, spending hundreds of thousands there, and demanded the commitment of the presence of a young communist to serve on the table.

We have established that among the drunken brethren, from the close knights, there are also politically quite ignorant persons, like Voroshilov’s secretary, Khmelnitsky, former officer, a former communist who went over to Denikin from the Red Army. Some of the drivers of Voroshilov and Budyonny, brought from Crimea, with officer faces, also turned out to be quite suspicious.

Of course, all this became known to Voroshilov, and, a tyrant by nature, he already hated us personally, deciding, at the same time, that further strengthening of the Special Department could have bad consequences for the existing routine, and personally for many high-ranking “flea dealers.” Without giving any actual support for strengthening and creating the apparatus of the Armed Forces Special Department, Voroshilov (we remind you that he has two votes in the Revolutionary Military Council) was looking for an opportunity to find fault and put the Special Department in the old place of a dead institution that does not bother anyone. Such a case, in his opinion, would soon present itself - just this operation with bandits.

The next day, in the apartment of the Commander, Voroshilov, mainly, began to fabricate and intensively spread rumors that we had done the raid ourselves, that the Special Department was engaged in provocative work, that it was necessary to take measures against him.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Predgubcheka Trepalov, was called, some meetings were held, but they did not demand anything from us. Already on our initiative, we were summoned to the Revolutionary Military Council, where all the arguments were presented, right down to intelligence reports. But, having broken into his ambition, Voroshilov no longer wanted to give up his position, and, seeing that he had gone too far, decided to continue the matter. Now our accusation of provocation, naturally, shows his attitude towards the work of the Special Department, and we fell into disgrace with him. For us it was indifferent, since we were doing our job, and to the threats from Comrade. Voroshilov – to arrest us and bring us to trial by the Revolutionary Military Tribunal of the Republic – we are of little concern.”

So, it turns out that this is what lies in main reason Voroshilov's enmity with the security officers. Two birds do not live in the same den.

Voroshilov and Budyonny did not need dangerous spies. Uncontrollable. Collecting compromising materials on them.

(And who, however, needs such people? Already these days, quite often, governors and presidents of national republics continue the traditions of Voroshilov. The number of territorial security forces who said goodbye to their positions in favor of the political situation and the servility of their leadership goes on in the dozens.)

No matter what letters the rebellious Zvederis sent to the center, no matter what facts he cited, his fate was, in fact, predetermined. The Cheka is an armed detachment of the party...

The time of the Chekist omnipotence will come later, when with just a wave of the hand yesterday’s masters of life - even more serious than Budyonny and Voroshilov, model 20 - will turn into camp dust.

But the first marshals will forever remember the man whose stubbornness almost cost them their careers. Surely, largely thanks to him, throughout their lives they will carry their dislike for the terrible yellow building, to which even the iron Felix stood with his back turned.

Both Voroshilov and Budyonny miraculously survived the years of the Chekist Moloch. It was a miracle and the blood with which the “father of nations” baptized them, because all the sentences, deeds of generals and commanders bore the simple signature of People’s Commissar Voroshilov.

(“We cleaned up the Red Army,” he reported from the rostrum in 1937, “about four tens of thousands of people.”)

And yet: in 1937, Budyonny’s wife, an artist, was taken in as a “Polish spy” Bolshoi Theater Olga Mikhailova. In 1952, at the height of the fight against cosmopolitanism, Voroshilov himself was almost killed - they remembered his Jewish wife, and it was time to let in new blood. Only the quick death of the “leader” saved him from reprisals.

It is quite possible that the stubborn special officer Zvederis also died in the era of great terror. It’s even for sure: such people did not heal for a long time - with rare exceptions, almost all the old KGB cadres were repressed. However, this is just our guess, because we were unable to find Zvederis’ personal file.

The last mention of him is dated January 21st. This is the conclusion of the Cheka, which put an end to the entire history that had already dragged on.

Special officer Zvederis was unanimously confirmed as the culprit of all the troubles of the First Cavalry. It turns out that he “did not pay any attention to internal political life, without taking any measures in advance (...), due to which political life in the army proceeded abnormally, and every prison element was free to do their dark deeds.”

The conclusion is clear:

“Head of the Special Department of the 1st Cavalry Army, comrade. Zvederis, to remove him from his position: a) on the one hand, as inconsistent with his appointment;

b) on the other hand, a person who did not want to be interested in the enormous work that was entrusted to him.”

And in a few months Kliment Voroshilov will become a member of the Central Committee...

In the 30s there was a popular song:

When the country orders you to be a hero,
With us, anyone becomes a hero.

A sort of heroism according to the order...

Budyonny and Voroshilov are from this cohort. Despite all their regalia and titles, they had little understanding of military affairs. Voroshilov, in general, was not a commander: a party worker thrown into the troops “for reinforcement.” Budyonny was only good at saber cutting. Anecdotes were made about his intelligence.

Like this, for example:

“Tell me,” they ask Budyonny, “do you like Babel?”

- It depends on what kind of woman...

But “the country ordered” - and they had to become marshals. Pose for artists. Open parades.

They did it so well that over time they themselves believed in their own greatness. And then the war came, and hundreds of thousands of people had to pay for their mediocrity with their lives - those who were lucky enough to fight as part of the fronts under the command of the “famous marshals.”

After the failure of the Kyiv operation, Stalin will be forced to remove Budyonny from the Southwestern Front. He could have shot him, but he regretted it: he transferred him to the reserve North Caucasus Front, and in 1943 he removed him from there out of sin: he made him commander of the cavalry of the Red Army. This was in 1943, on the eve of the Battle of Kursk, when armored vehicles and aviation completely occupied the decisive role in the war.

Voroshilov, who failed the Leningrad Front, put him on the partisan movement. He reasoned sensibly: he still wouldn’t be able to cause more harm. The partisans are under the reliable supervision of the security officers, Klim will not dare to make a word against them...

The Stars of Heroes were hung for them after the war: for their anniversaries. So as not to offend...

These people succeeded in something else: in a secret, behind-the-scenes war. In a war of intrigue and conspiracy.

Here they definitely had no equal. Only the head of the special department of the First Cavalry, Zvederis, realized this too late...

In Soviet historiography, the First Cavalry was in approximately the same position as Malaya Zemlya.

We are only now learning the real truth about what the army really was. Yes, and that one - abruptly.

After all, the developments on Voroshilov and Budyonny, which were started by a special department of the First Cavalry, were curtailed immediately after the expulsion of Zvederis.

The country needed heroes. And no one was allowed to defame them...

The place of the First Cavalry Army in the history of the Red Army is special. This formation, which existed in 1919-1921, managed to fight on several fronts of the Civil War. Budyonny's cavalry fought in the Donbass, Ukraine, Don, Kuban, Caucasus, Poland and Crimea. In the Soviet Union, the First Cavalry acquired a legendary status unmatched by any other part of the Red Army.

Creation

The famous First Cavalry Army was created in November 1919. The decision to form it was made by the Revolutionary Military Council. A corresponding proposal was made by Joseph Stalin. The army included three divisions and the 1st Cavalry Corps. It was commanded by Semyon Budyonny. It was he who led the new formation.

On the eve of this event, Budyonny's forces occupied the Kastornaya station in the modern Kursk region. They pursued the retreating parts of the Mamontov and Shkuro corps. During the fighting, telephone and telegraph lines were damaged, which is why Budyonny did not immediately learn that he was the commander of the First Cavalry Army. He was notified of the official decision in Stary Oskol. Voroshilov and Shchadenko were also appointed members of the Revolutionary Military Council of the new formation. The first had already participated in the organization of the 10th Red Army, the second had experience in the formation of smaller units.

Device

At the beginning of December 1919 they came to Budyonny future Stalin, Voroshilov and Shchadenko. All together they signed order No. 1. This is how the First Cavalry Army was created. The order was drawn up in Velikomikhailovka. Today there is a memorial museum of the First Cavalry Army.

The newly created army achieved its first successes already in the first days of its existence. On December 7, the white corps of Konstantin Mamontov suffered defeat. Valuiki was taken. There was an important railway junction here and trains with ammunition and food were stationed. Many horses and baggage were also captured.

Especially in the battles for Valuiki severe trials We were waiting for the 4th division. Powerful fire from armored trains was concentrated against it. Despite this, the divisions acted coherently and encircled Valuiki from the flanks.

It was originally planned that the Cavalry would have five cavalry divisions. However, due to a lack of people at first, only three entered it. Also, two rifle divisions and an auto squad named after Sverdlov were added as reinforcements. It included 15 vehicles with machine guns installed on them. There was also Stroev’s air squad (12 aircraft). It was intended for reconnaissance and establishing communications between army units. Four armored trains were assigned to the Cavalry: “Kommunar”, “Worker”, “Death of the Directory” and “Red Cavalryman”.

Donbass

When Valuyki was taken, the Budennovtsy received a new order: to go to the Kupyansk - Timinovo line. The Revolutionary Military Council decided to deliver the main blow along the railway, and an auxiliary one in the direction of Pokrovskoye. The offensive was carried out rapidly, as the Soviet leadership feared that the retreating Whites would begin to destroy mines that were important to the economy. Convoys, medical stations, and supply bases were pulled up. On December 16, the Red Army entered Kupyansk.

The First Cavalry Army was created to fight the forces of the Good Army, which made an unsuccessful attempt to march to Moscow. Now the Whites were retreating, and the Reds, moving in the southern and southwestern directions, pursued the opponents of Soviet power.

In December, the cavalry army was faced with the task of crossing the river in the Loskutovka-Nesvetevich section. Despite the winter, the ice on it was not strong enough to withstand the weight of cavalry and artillery. Therefore, there were 2 ways to overcome this natural barrier: to capture a ready-made bridge or to build your own crossing. The White Guard command sent fresh forces to the northern bank of the river. Despite this, on the morning of December 17, the Revolutionary Military Council gave the order to cross the Donets.

The First Cavalry Army had to concentrate its own armored forces, tighten up the rear, correct railway tracks, replenish ammunition. The operation was designed for rapid progress. Because of this, Budyonny's First Cavalry Army became very distant from neighboring friendly regiments. Nevertheless, the Seversky Donets was nevertheless forced. This happened on December 23, 1919. At the same time, Lisichansk was taken.

Late 1919

On December 25-26, stubborn fighting continued in the direction of Popasnaya. They were led by the 12th Infantry Division, which advanced with the help of armored trains. On its way, it overthrew the forces of the 2nd Kuban Corps. On December 26, the division reached the Popasnaya - Dmitrievka line. On the same day, the 4th Don Cavalry Corps was thrown back beyond the Krinichnaya - Khoroshoe line. By December 27, the Cavalry had completely captured the Bakhmut - Popasnaya line. White, meanwhile, was preparing for a counterattack on the left flank.

Leaving the Seversky Donets behind, the First Cavalry continued to pursue units under the command of Ulagai. On December 29, the Whites left Debaltseve, and the next day - Gorlovka and Nikitovka. IN major battle near the village of Alekseevo-Leonovo, the regiments that were part of the Markov division were defeated.

The 9th Infantry and 11th Cavalry Divisions continued their advance from Gorlovka. On January 1, 1920, they occupied the Ilovaiskaya and Amvrosievka stations. The Circassian White Division located here suffered a crushing defeat. Its remnants fled in southeast and southwest directions. In the last week of 1919, the Whites lost 5 thousand people captured and 3 thousand people killed. The cavalry captured 170 machine guns, 24 guns, 10 thousand shells, 1.5 thousand horses and other military property.

By January, Donbass was completely under Bolshevik control. This victory had enormous operational, strategic, economic and political significance. The Soviet Republic gained access to a densely populated proletarian region where there were inexhaustible sources of fuel. Opened for the Cavalry shortest path for an attack on Rostov and Taganrog.

Rostov

In the new year of 1920, the First Cavalry Army took part in the large general Rostov-Novocherkassk operation and somewhat changed the direction of its movement. On January 6, her forces occupied Taganrog. An extensive Bolshevik underground operated here.

On the first day of the new year, Budyonny and Shchadenko went to the advanced units of the divisions to clarify the situation. Voroshilov was considered an expert on Donbass and remained at the army headquarters in Chistyakovo (he also wrote an appeal to the workers of the Donetsk basin). In Kolpakovka, Budyonny met with Semyon Timoshenko. Soon his units moved to the area. Fighting ensued near the General's Bridge. On the evening of January 7, the Whites made an unsuccessful attempt at a counteroffensive.

On January 8, Timoshenko's division entered Rostov-on-Don for the first time. Street battles for the city lasted three days. The big mistake of the White Guard command was the decision to strengthen the defensive lines on the approaches to Rostov, but not to pay attention to the protection of the outskirts and the city center. The appearance of the red cavalry on the streets was all the more unexpected because opponents of the Bolsheviks celebrated Christmas en masse.

On January 10, Levandovsky’s 33rd Division came to Tymoshenko’s rescue, and Rostov finally fell into the hands of the Bolsheviks. During the fighting, about 10 thousand White Guards were captured. Dozens of guns, two hundred machine guns and other property ended up in the hands of the Red Army.

The local Revolutionary Military Council sent a victorious report to Lenin and the Revolutionary Military Council of the Southern Front. It was reported that Rostov and Nakhichevan were taken, and the Whites were driven back beyond Gniloaksayskaya and Bataysk. Increasing rains prevented further pursuit of the enemy. At Aksayskaya the Whites destroyed the crossing across the Don, and at Bataysk - through Koisug. However, the Reds managed to save the bridge and railway across the river in Rostov itself. A commandant and garrison chief was appointed in the city, and a Revolutionary Committee was also formed.

Caucasus

After the Whites left the banks of the Don and the Donetsk basin, the main battles moved closer to the Caucasus, where the First Cavalry Army went. During the Civil War there were a great many such episodes of redeployment and reassignment to other fronts. Together with the First Cavalry, the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th armies fought in the North Caucasus. The Whites and Reds had equal comparable forces, but the representatives of the White movement had more cavalry, which gave them good opportunities for maneuver.

Budennovskaya residents began their first march (to Platovskaya) on February 11. The path was difficult, since there was complete impassability on the left bank of the Sal. Machine-gun carts were mounted on sleds. The convoys and artillery were drowning in a meter-long layer of loose snow. It was hard for the horses too. Over time, the Budennovtsy acquired their own breed, which was particularly resilient and prepared for the difficult conditions of war. They were then bred at the stud farm of the First Cavalry Army, which was opened in the Soviet era.

On February 15, the red cavalry in the area of ​​​​the Kazenny Bridge crossed the Manych and began an attack on Shablievka. The Red Army took advantage of the darkness and bypassed the positions of the White Guards, inflicting an unexpected blow on them. Shablievka was taken, and the Plastun battalion of the 1st Kuban Corps of Vladimir Kryzhanovsky was captured.

Egorlyk

From February 25 to March 2, the Battle of Yegorlyk took place - the largest cavalry battle in the entire Civil War. The First Cavalry Army took an active part in it. Budyonny managed to defeat the forces of General Kryzhanovsky and Alexander Pavlov. Total quantity The cavalry that took part in the clash amounted to 25 thousand people.

Timoshenko's 6th Division, hiding in a ravine, deliberately allowed enemy columns to approach them, after which the White Guards were covered with heavy artillery fire. A decisive attack followed. The whites were confused and began to retreat. This was the 4th Don Corps.

There were other parts of the group as well. The military leader himself commanded the 2nd Don Corps. This detachment met with the vanguard of the 20th Infantry Division (it was moving to Sredny Yegorlyk). Suddenly, the 4th Cavalry Division of the Cavalry broke into the ranks of the Pavlovtsians. Artillery and machine guns were actively used, and brutal cutting was going on. Budyonny and Voroshilov led the 1st brigade and cut off the enemy’s escape route to Sredny Ergolyk.

In the battle, the key force of the whites, the Cossack cavalry, was defeated. Because of this, a widespread retreat of opponents of Soviet power began. The commander of the First Cavalry Army did not fail to take advantage of the success: the divisions subordinate to him occupied Stavropol and Khomutovskaya. Further pursuit of the enemy, however, slowed down. The terrible spring thaw took its toll.

Kuban

On March 13, 1920, Budyonny, who was in Yegorlykskaya, received a new directive from the Revolutionary Military Council of the Caucasian Front. The paper contained an order to cross the Kuban River. On March 14, Ordzhonikidze (member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the front) and Tukhachevsky (commander of the front) arrived at the First Cavalry.

Soon the troops set off on a new campaign. On the banks of the Kuban, the corps of Sultan-Girey was defeated. Retreating, the whites destroyed most of the crossings. Instead, new pontoons were built and damaged bridges were repaired. By March 19, the First Cavalry crossed the Kuban.

Three days later the Budennovtsy entered Maykop. Here Shevtsov’s army of five thousand was waiting for them. These were pro-Bolshevik partisans, consisting of Black Sea and Caucasian detachments. Shevtsov’s detachment also helped establish Soviet power in Tuapse and Sochi.

Maykop was an important city from a strategic point of view, since valuable oil fields were located there. The First Cavalry Army took over their protection directly. The Civil War has already reached a turning point. The Whites retreated on all fronts. The Maykop operation was Budyonny’s last in the Caucasus.

Poland

In the spring of 1920, Budyonny's First Cavalry Army found itself at war with Poland (sources of that time used the term "Polish Front"). Essentially, it was part of one general conflict on the territory of the collapsed Russian Empire.

For 52 days, Budyonny’s forces moved from Maykop to the Ukrainian city of Uman. All this time, clashes with the UPR army continued. In May-June, the 1st Cavalry took part in the Kyiv operation of the Red Army. In the first two days of the offensive, she managed to defeat the units of Ataman Kurovsky.

The Polish front was broken through on June 5. Soldiers and trumpeters of the First Cavalry Army entered Zhitomir. The 4th Division, commanded by Dmitry Korotchaev, played a key role in this success. The small Polish garrison was defeated. Numerous Red Army soldiers were released from captivity. On the same day, the Poles left Berdichev.

In those June days In 1920, the commander of the First Cavalry Army of the Red Army was primarily busy establishing control over the most important roads and railways. It was the Budennovites who disrupted communications between various Polish units, which helped other Soviet forces occupy Kyiv. At the end of June, the cavalry entered Novograd-Volynsky, and on July 10 - into Rivne.

At the end of July 1920, the Budennovites were transferred to Lviv. Here they were subordinated to the Western Front (previously they were part of the Southwestern Front). was forced. The days of bloody battles for Lviv came. Aviation and armored trains acted against the Red Army soldiers. Events in the vicinity of Lvov were included in the plot of the novel “How the Steel Was Tempered,” written by Nikolai Ostrovsky.

The cavalry never occupied the city. Having received Tukhachevsky’s order to move in the direction of Lublin, she left the Lviv environs. IN last days August the battles for Zamosc took place. Here, the commander of the First Cavalry Army during the Civil War, Budyonny, was never able to break the resistance of the Poles and the Ukrainians from the UPR army who acted on their side.

Crimea

In September 1920, the Cavalry found itself on the Southern Front, where battles continued against Wrangel’s White Guards, who controlled the Crimea. The Perekop-Chongar operation that followed in November under the overall command of Mikhail Frunze ended with the occupation of the peninsula by the Reds.

The cavalry made a great contribution to the victory of the Red Army in the battles near the Kakhovsky bridgehead. The Budennovtsy acted together with the Second Cavalry Army, commanded by Philip Mironov.

The last battles of the famous formation date back to the winter of 1920-1921. The commander of the First Cavalry Army again led his troops to Ukraine, where the Soviet government continued to fight the Makhnovists. This was followed by a transfer to the North Caucasus, where the rebel army of Mikhail Przhevalsky was defeated. The disbandment of the First Cavalry Army occurred in May 1921. Its headquarters continued to operate until the fall of 1923.

The successes of the Cavalry in Russia were caused by the speed of regroupings, flexibility of maneuver and the concentration of superior means and forces in the direction of the main attack. The Red Cavalry loved surprise attacks and was distinguished by the clear interaction of its own formations and units.

Joseph Stalin, the future head of the Soviet state, was an honorary Red Army soldier in the First Cavalry (Marshal Yegorov received the same title). After the Civil War, it acquired the status of an important symbol of the successful fight against the opponents of the Bolsheviks. Budyonny became one of the first five Soviet marshals. He was also awarded the title of Hero three times Soviet Union.

Today in Zernogradsky district Rostov region The stud farm of the First Cavalry Army operates. A monument to the Budennovites was erected in Lvovskaya. There are Cavalry streets in Stary Oskol, Simferopol and Rostov-on-Don. Her artistic image is known thanks to the collection of stories by Isaac Babel, films by Efim Dzigan, Georgy Berezko and Vladimir Lyubomudrov.

The maneuverable nature of combat operations and the access of cavalry to a wide operational space were the most important prerequisites for the revival of the shock role of cavalry in the Civil War, cavalry, which often became a battering ram in breaking through the enemy front and a locomotive pulling combined arms formations and formations. Cavalry became the type of military force that, in the conditions of a highly maneuverable Civil War, could bring the greatest operational and strategic results in the shortest possible time.

The cavalry theorist and practitioner M. Batorsky noted: “... modern conditions warfare transferred the activities of cavalry from the battlefield to the theater of operations; cavalry, acting primarily in masses, will work strategically, tactical work will be the lot of military cavalry, used in small units and on a narrower scale. But with this formulation of the question, i.e., the widespread strategic use of cavalry masses, I would like to once again emphasize the enormous importance of the personality of the cavalry commander, on the one hand, gifted with strong-willed principles and instincts, and the inexorable desire of the cavalry itself to reach the enemy. This seems strange, but it is so precisely because the cavalry will in most cases have to act in isolation from other troops. Here you need a manifestation of great perseverance, great confidence, born of faith in your boss and your own strength” [Batorsky M. Cavalry Service. M., 1925. P. 66].

The specialist turned out to be right - both in assessing the role of the cavalry and its command. The 1st Cavalry Army had outstanding leadership in the person of the “red Murat” - S. M. Budyonny.

The above-mentioned author also pointed out the forms of activity of strategic cavalry, which “can be used to perform the following tasks: 1) providing cover for certain operational directions in a maneuver war, whether in the form of a screen, raids, invasion or advance with the ensuing 2) strategic reconnaissance; 3) actions on the flanks; 4) stalking; 5) covering the retreat; 6) performing special tasks: in trench warfare, in the fight against banditry and small war; for servicing the rear, for filling gaps in the general battle line and direct assistance to other types of troops on the battlefield" [Ibid. P. 67].

The Civil War favored wide maneuvering of large cavalry masses both in the theater of war and directly on the battlefield. Strategic cavalry was used: 1) as a maneuverable strike group in the hands of the high command - to strike in the most important operational direction; 2) to carry out cavalry raids into the enemy’s rear and communications - moreover, these raids were supplemented by frontal attacks and were supposed to demoralize the enemy rear, cut off its communications, and disrupt the work of the headquarters apparatus.

The White Guard command took the initiative in creating a strategic cavalry. Firstly, the whites were based, especially initially, in the Cossack regions, and the Cossacks - natural cavalrymen - became the basis of the white cavalry; secondly, almost the entire cavalry officer corps of the Russian army ended up on the side of the whites.

At the same time, poorly trained and poorly put together Red Army units in the overwhelming majority of cases turned out to be unable to withstand a cavalry attack. White cavalry raids behind Red troops became a particularly serious problem. The Soviet government was forced to oppose the white cavalry to the red cavalry, the formation of which began very late.

In the first year of its existence, the Soviet Republic formed almost exclusively infantry units. Cavalry units, as a rule, without special support from the state apparatus, were formed at first on the initiative of individual commanders.

This was the case until the raid of the 4th Don Corps by Lieutenant General K.K. Mamontov, which showed what mass, well-trained and organized cavalry could do.

Horse corps appear. They were a successful form of organizing strategic cavalry, giving the necessary proportions in the ratio of sabers, bayonets and guns. Massing cavalry into mounted corps gave many advantages - the corps had flexible control, and at the same time, sufficient strength to deliver a powerful blow.

By the end of 1919, several tens of thousands of cavalry were fighting on both sides on the Southern Front, some large connections reached several thousand sabers.

Thanks to their numbers, morale and weapons, the Red Cavalry played a key strategic role during the Civil War, seriously influencing its outcome. As a result of victories over the troops of the Armed Forces of Southern Russia, the red cavalry turned out to be superbly equipped with machine guns. It was not uncommon to find up to 100 (!) machine guns in a cavalry regiment. A special role in the battle was played by the carts, which rode forward before the attack and prepared a cavalry attack with powerful fire, and after an unsuccessful battle they covered the retreating cavalry. Detachments of armored cars, aviation and powerful artillery gave the cavalry units of the Red Army at the end of the Civil War a completely new quality, turning them into the real elite of the armed forces.

The highest operational and most powerful cavalry association of the Red Army - the 1st Cavalry Army - was created at the proposal of a member of the Revolutionary Military Council (RMC) of the Southern Front, I. V. Stalin, by a decision of the RMC of the RSFSR dated November 17, 1919.

The 1st Cavalry Army was formed on the basis of three cavalry divisions (6th, 4th, 11th) of the 1st Cavalry Corps under the command of S. M. Budyonny in accordance with the order of the RVS of the Southern Front dated November 19, 1919.

In January 1920, the 14th Cavalry Division also became part of the army. The army structure included an armored vehicle squad, four armored trains and other units. In a number of battles, 2-3 rifle divisions were transferred to the operational subordination of the Cavalry Army, and in March 1920, the 2nd Cavalry Corps was transferred.

From time to time, other cavalry formations were transferred to the army: 1st Cavalry Division (April 1920), 2nd Cavalry Division (April - May 1920), 8th Cavalry Division of the Red Cossacks (August 1920), 9th Cavalry Division (April - May 1920), Cavalry Division named after Ekimov (April - May 1920).

After the end of the Civil War, the Red Cavalry was written about in Berlin, Constantinople, Paris and Warsaw. It was noted that “The whole world has been and is following with undisguised interest the successes of the Bolshevik cavalry in the Polish theater of military operations and, especially, the cavalry commanded by Budyonny.”

The following were cited as the reasons for the tactical successes of the red cavalry: “1) Skillful reconnaissance by a series of strong reconnaissance units of 1-3 squadrons in each direction... as well as machine-gun units; 2) skillful maneuvering by the vanguard (or vanguards), scattered into lava and covering the advance of artillery, armored vehicles and driving machine-gun units to disrupt the enemy’s advanced units with fire and to cover and deploy their main forces; 3) skillful conduct of the main forces on a wide front and their approach to the battlefield in flexible and easy-to-maneuver regimental - platoon or double platoon columns; 4) rapid formation of a deployed front by the head units and their conduct of an attack with full determination against the advanced units of the enemy; 5) completing the attack with the best flank units and taking advantage of the failure of the head (usually the worst) units as a means of luring and attacking the flank or encircling the enemy’s cavalry; 6) the use of infantry as a means of covering the rest of cavalry units and for an unexpected attack from behind the flanks of its retreating battle formation; 7) the use of merciless pursuit, first by fresh units with armored cars, and then by these latter and separate squadrons; 8) skillful use of the forces of people and horses" [Enemies about our cavalry army // Military Bulletin. 1921. No. 10. P. 28].

The French military magazine “Cavalry Review”, having examined the actions of the red cavalry in the Polish theater of operations, came to the following conclusions: “The use of the Bolshevik cavalry in 1920 is characterized by: 1) From a strategic point of view - intensive use of the capabilities of cavalry in the sense of movement for formations of maneuverable masses , which the Russian command puts into action now on one front and now on the other and which it uses to achieve decisive results; 2) From a tactical point of view - by combining fire and movement - on the one hand, to pin down the enemy, and on the other, to act on his communication lines and force the enemy to stop resisting either by envelopment or by infiltrating into his position; 3) Flexibility of combat methods, preferential use of firearms over cold weapons for combat. The Bolshevik cavalry played a major role in the battles against Poland. It was she who achieved decisive results” [Ibid].

The 1st Cavalry Army fully confirmed these assessments.
During the fighting from October 24 to November 16, 1919 in the Zemlyansk area - Art. Kastornaya units of the 1st Cavalry Corps captured about 2 thousand prisoners, 3 armored trains, a large amount of artillery and machine guns [Tyulenev I.V. The defeat of the Denikin cavalry near Voronezh and Kastornaya October 16 - November 15, 1919 // Military Historical Bulletin . 1935. No. 1. P. 45]. On November 10, when a threat was created to the right flank of the corps, S. M. Budyonny, stopping the offensive and covering himself from the south, transferred his main forces against the advancing infantry and repelled the White advance. November 15 The Cavalry Corps, covered on the flanks by one brigade, overthrows the cavalry with its main forces and suddenly captures the station. Sukovkino, and cuts off the parts of the whites operating north of Kastornaya. Then, overwhelming them with his right flank, the actions of the main forces and the restraining group defeat them.

Noteworthy is the interaction of the Cavalry Corps units on both a tactical and operational scale. The control of the corps by the corps commander also deserves attention. Sending on November 15 staff commanders directly to cavalry divisions to carry out the implementation of a corps-wide task is an example of flexibility in management and coordination in the interaction of the efforts of all divisions at the decisive moment of the operation.

1. RVS 1st Cavalry: K. E. Voroshilov, S. M. Budyonny, E. A. Shchadenko. 1920

2. S. A. Zotov, Chief of the Field Headquarters of the 1st Cavalry Army.

The capture of the Kastornensky positions became a springboard for the further pursuit of the retreating troops of the AFSR.

Moreover, the main successes came to the Cavalry Army during the winter campaigns. In the first half of November 1919, there was wet snow and ice, and the cavalry had difficulty moving forward. And on November 13 - 15, during the preparation of the attack of Art. A terrible snowstorm was raging in Kastornaya. And as soon as it stopped, S. M. Budyonny defeated his opponent with a concentric offensive and occupied Kastornaya. Up to 3,000 prisoners, 22 guns, 4 armored cars, 4 tanks, more than 100 machine guns, a large number of shells, cartridges, rifles and more than 1,000 horses were captured.

On January 8, 1920, the 1st Cavalry Army captured Rostov-on-Don - again in difficult winter conditions, with a concentric advance north of the city. Up to 12,000 prisoners and about 100 guns were captured. 200 machine guns, tanks.

In February 1920, the 1st Cavalry Army finally defeated the white cavalry of generals V.V. Kryzhanovsky, A.A. Pavlov and Ya.D. Yuzefovich.

The 1st Cavalry Army played a special strategic role in the events of the Soviet-Polish War.

The army's operations during the period May 25 - June 18, 1920 showed the key influence a large cavalry mass has on the course of military operations. Subsequently, operating in the wooded, swampy and rugged terrain of the western Kiev region and Volyn, conducting a combined battle on foot and horseback, the cavalry successfully knocked out the enemy from fortified zones reinforced with wire barriers.

The massing of cavalry during the Civil War led to the creation of powerful cavalry formations and associations performing strategic tasks, and the 1st Cavalry Army was the crown of this organizational evolution.

Il. 3. 1st Cavalry Army 1919

Il. 4. 1st Cavalry Army 1920

Il. 5. Trumpeters of the 1st Cavalry Army.

The cavalry army was also good as a large cavalry reserve in the hands of the high command. But almost all the time she had to operate in the narrow corridors of the demarcation lines of combined arms armies. And sometimes, thanks to these corridors, she had to lose a significant part of her effectiveness. It became obvious that the actions of the mounted masses associated with the demarcation lines and the boundaries they established often led to failure. An example is the operations of S. M. Budyonny’s army in the Brod area.

Cavalry corps and armies carried out independent operations behind enemy lines, as well as on the battlefields of the Civil War. They have become the real elite new army. An elite that was distinguished not only by high morale, good equipment and an aura of victory - but which could operate in the most diverse tactical conditions and act as successfully as possible.

The strategic importance of cavalry increased significantly during the Civil War. She gained the opportunity to force the enemy to retreat along the entire front. If there were cavalry formations in their rear, the enemy felt insecure and, as a rule, retreated.

In the Civil War, cavalry played a vital strategic role, influencing the fate of not only campaigns, but the entire war as a whole. It was the 1st Cavalry Army, one of the largest operational formations in world history, that played a key role in this.

During the Civil War, three super-powerful cavalry formations emerged: the 1st Cavalry Army; 2nd Cavalry Army; red Cossacks.
Accordingly, three groups of cavalry commanders emerged.
The grouping of the 2nd Cavalry Army was knocked out of the game by joint efforts, its leaders were declared enemies and liquidated. Its commander F.K. Mironov protested against the Bolshevik terror on the Don, was arrested and executed without trial in 1921. Rehabilitated by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court in 1960 “for lack of evidence of a crime.”
According to some historians, a number of victories of the 2nd Cavalry Army were attributed to the 1st Cavalry.
The 1st Cavalry suffered not only victories, but also defeat from the cavalry corps of generals Pavlov and Toporkov. There were also accusations that its units participated in pogroms against Jews.
It so happened that Comrade Stalin during the Civil War visited the places where the 1st Cavalry operated. They fought together with Budyonny in 1918 in Tsaritsyn, the future Stalingrad, and Stalin knew Voroshilov even before the October Revolution. The people of the 1st Cavalry Army were not only known to Stalin, but for the most part they were selected, supported and promoted by him.
In 1922, Stalin took up a post with such a strange name - Secretary General. Lenin quickly realized that “having become General Secretary, Comrade Stalin concentrated immense power in his hands.” The “Department for Accounting and Distribution of Leading Personnel” was in his hands. Very soon, veterans of Stalin’s beloved 1st Cavalry Army occupied the highest levels of military power.
The leaders of the Red Cossacks for the most part were chosen, supported and appointed by Comrade Trotsky. Among them were Tukhachevsky and Yakir. They were pushed out of the first roles, and in impotent anger they did great stupid things.

Budyonny became an obedient tool of Stalin during the defeat of the leading cadres of the Red Army in the late 1930s.
At the Plenum of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (February-March 1937), when discussing the issue of N.I. Bukharine and A.I. Rykove came out “for expulsion, trial and execution,” in May 1937, during a survey about the expulsion from the party of M.N. Tukhachevsky and Ya.E. Rudzutaka wrote: “Of course, in favor. These scoundrels need to be executed.”
In 1926, Budyonny accused Babel of falsifying the history of the 1st Cavalry after publication latest collection short story "Cavalry".
(I.E. Babel (1894-1940) - writer. During the Civil War - security officer, cavalryman of the 1st Cavalry. Arrested, accused of belonging to a spy-Trotskyist group and of “organizational” connections with the wife of the “enemy of the people” Yezhov . Shot. Rehabilitated posthumously.)
After the mass purges in the army in 1926-35 and the repressions of 1930-38, a situation arose in the army when the highest positions were taken by people from the 1st Cavalry Army, and Budyonny and Voroshilov were turned by Stalinist propaganda into almost the only heroes of the Civil War. In 1943, Budyonny even joined the party’s Central Committee. True, this was the Central Committee of Stalin's call, and if Stalin had a feeling
humor, he could at the same time, following the example of Caligula, introduce Budyonnovsky’s horse into the Central Committee. But Stalin did not have a sense of humor.
During the Soviet-German war, the insignificance of both Voroshilov and Budyonny after the first operations became so obvious that Stalin had to send them to the Urals to prepare reserves.
Nevertheless, Budyonny Thrice Hero of the Owls. Union (1958, 1963, 1968).
Budyonny was married three times. Almost nothing is known about the first wife. Sovietologist A. Avtorkhanov claims that she was an illiterate peasant woman from the Kuban, but when he became a marshal, he abandoned her and sent his children to an orphanage.
The second wife is Olga Stefanovna Mikhailova, a singer in the Bolshoi Theater troupe. She was arrested in 1937 and released in 1956.
The third wife is Maria Vasilievna (b. 1916), cousin of the second wife. Nothing is known about the children from the first two wives, but from the third wife there were three children: Sergei (b. 1938), Nina (b. 1939), Mikhail (b. 1944). The marshal's daughter was for some time the wife of artist Mikhail Derzhavin.
Budyonny died in 1973. He left false and odious memoirs, “The Path Traveled.” He was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

After the death of M. V. Frunze, Voroshilov headed the military department of the USSR. He had a reputation as a devoted supporter of Stalin, supporting him in the fight against Trotsky and then in establishing Stalin's absolute power in the late 1920s. Author of the book “Stalin and the Red Army,” exalting Stalin’s role in the Civil War.
Critics of Voroshilov raise the question of declaring him a criminal along with Stalin, despite any merits in the past. Voroshilov’s signature is on 186 execution lists for 18,474 people. In total, under the leadership of the People's Commissar of Defense, about 40 thousand commanders were “purged” from the Red Army.
After Stalin's death in March 1953, he was appointed to the honorary but uninfluential position of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He is twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1956, 1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1960).
In 1956-1957, due to his rejection of N.S. Khrushchev’s political course on de-Stalinization of society and the country, he became close to the “anti-party group” of G.M. Malenkov, L.M. Kaganovich and V.M. Molotov. After the defeat of the “group,” Khrushchev and his entourage decided not to touch Voroshilov as a popular hero of the Civil War.
Voroshilov's wife is Golda Davidovna Gorbman (1887-1959), Jewish by nationality. Before marrying Voroshilov, she converted to Orthodoxy, changed her name and became Ekaterina Davidovna. They did not have their own children, they raised the son and daughter of M.V. Frunze - Timur (1923-1942) and Tatyana (b. 1920), as well as their adopted son Peter (1914-1969).
Voroshilov died in 1969. He was buried on Red Square.